Ground-breaking mixed terrain event continues to grow with a new location and six events in total.
(January 23 – Newcastle, UK) – Grinduro, the seminal mixed-terrain event where having a good time at the party is just as important as going fast in the race, is surging ahead with plans for the 2024 season, brought to life by presenting sponsor Shimano with the global support of Schwalbe, PRO, Wahoo Fitness and Leatt. From the 7th instalment in California through a return to Pennsylvania, Germany, Italy and Japan, plus a debut in France, riders around the globe can refine their party-to-race ratio.
For 2024, Grinduro continues to grow, with six events planned between May and October. Most noteworthy is that Grinduro will expand in Europe with three events in total, with the addition of a new stop in France. "I love seeing the same faces year-after-year on the course, but the real magic is in bringing Grinduro to new audiences," said Grinduro global events manager, James Deane. "We've had six great years in the UK, but on June 28 - 30, 2024, Grinduro will take place in the stunning landscape of the Vosges region, France."
The simple joy of riding bikes with your friends in new places is something that people all over the world can relate to. That has been at the heart of Grinduro since it was founded in 2015 by Giro Sport Design in their home state of California. Now, the Grinduro series is under new ownership, after the acquisition by UK based Northern Consultancy Co in 2023, who will continue to share the Grinduro passion with riders across the globe.
Northern have been an integral part of the Grinduro story ever since it expanded to Scotland in 2017, serving Giro as the event management consultant and growing Grinduro into a 6-event series across the globe. "The deal ensures the continuation of Grinduro and the growth of the series as an inclusive festival, with as much emphasis on the party as the ride. "said Paul Errington, founder and owner of Northern Consultancy Co.
Grinduro first landed in California back in 2015 and set an immediate benchmark for what the future of gravel events could be. Rather than being solely a race, Grinduro set itself apart from rivals by being a combination of race and party over 3 days. The initial event proved to be hugely popular and has now grown into a world series.
Just a handful of riders attended that first event, in Quincy, CA, in 2015, but the appetite for the unique event format soon saw attendance figures rise well beyond 1,000 participants." Errington commented that Northern has no plans to overhaul the race's current format. "We want to continue doing the great things Grinduro has been doing and introduce the format to fresh locations and new audiences."
Where participants might see a change is in an expanded expo area as Shimano expand their support into their second year as global presenting partner, stepping into the role once occupied by Giro. Given how quickly gravel racing has grown from its grassroots, some riders might feel trepidation about the new ownership of Grinduro. Errington knows there might be some questions or hesitation to embrace the change. However, he was quick to emphasize that Grinduro and Northern are in it for the right reasons.
"2023 was the first year Grinduro was totally independent... we made little fanfare of the acquisition, and no one noticed change at Grinduro events. We are passionate about taking the Grinduro experience to as many people as possible. The growth of Grinduro globally is a great indicator that our outlook that cycling should always be about great fun with friends is shared by many."
Grinduro events are open for entries now. Visit www.grinduro.com for more information. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, both at global and regional level. Visit
www.grinduro.com/sponsorship for more information or contact James Deane at james@northern.cc
